Transformers: Guide to Megatron (2024)

In the Transformers franchise, there are numerous Decepticons who have struck fear into the sparks of the Autobots. Among these villains, there's no foe more ferocious than Megatron. The eternal rival of Optimus Prime, the Decepticon Emperor of Destruction is a walking war machine who believes in peace through tyranny.

As is usual with the property, Megatron has taken on a lot of forms throughout the many iterations of Transformers. His alternate mode and characterization have been far less consistent than Optimus Prime, though his most iconic forms are still inspired by the original take on the character. This makes him arguably less defined than some might expect for the main Decepticon, but this hasn't stopped Megatron from crushing countless Autobots with his bare hands.

Who Is Megatron In Transformers?

Debuting in the original 1984 series The Transformers, Megatron was instantly cemented as the leader of the Decepticons. Ruthless, cruel and cunning, he emphasized all the vile aspects of the villainous Decepticon faction. In the original series, he sought to harvest as much energon as possible to defeat the Autobots, retake their home planet of Cybertron and conquer the universe as a whole. His quest for power and control knew no end, with only the valiant Autobots -- led by Optimus Prime -- standing in his way.

In most cases, Megatron is the leader of the Decepticons, though this isn't always the case. Likewise, he usually has several subordinates who attempt to usurp his authority. Chief among these less than loyal Decepticons is Starscream, leader of the Seeker jets. Egotistical and vain, Starscream sees only himself as the rightful leader of his faction. On the other hand, Soundwave is fiercely loyal to Megatron and always stands by him. Shockwave is usually something in between and is characterized as either a loyal second-in-command or a devotee to logic who also betrays Megatron.

The reasons for Megatron's actions also differ depending on the continuity. In some cases, he's merely a cartoonish villain who stands for evil because the plot requires him to do so. In other timelines, he was a formerly oppressed gladiator who saw the ruling Autobots as elitist, making him somewhat analogous to Magneto from Marvel's X-Men. Similarly, the Beast Wars: Transformers version of Megatron wanted to change history in order to keep the Autobots' descendants -- the Maximals -- from mistreating and ruling over the Predacons.

Is Megatron Always a Decepticon?

In the majority of cases, Megatron is a vicious Decepticon who's loyal to his faction's cause. There are a few exceptions, however, namely the IDW Transformers comic books. These had Megatron eventually become an Autobot, fighting alongside Optimus Prime against the Transformers that the former once led. In the "Shattered Glass" Universe (which is similar to DC Comics' Earth-3 Universe), the battle lines are flipped entirely. While Megatron still led the Decepticons, this universe made the faction into good guys. Thus, the Decepticons waged their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Autobots.

In Beast Wars: Transformers, the Autobots and Decepticons were replaced by their descendants, the Maximals and Predacons. This gave rise to a new Megatron, the likes of whom led his team of Predacons on prehistoric Earth. Naming himself after the original G1 Megatron, different continuities gave him initial names, such as Gnashteeth and Galavar. It's worth noting that he didn't lead the Predacon faction as a whole, and he was actually seen by his authorities as a trouble-making rogue. In the sequel series, Beast Machines: Transformers, he was the leader of the Vehicon forces, though he still retained a beast mode.

What Does Megatron Transform Into?

In the original Transformers toyline, cartoon and comic book, Megatron had the alternate mode of a Walther P38 handgun. This was explained in canon as his utilizing "mass shifting," changing from a small object that could be handled by humans into a gigantic robot. The controversial nature of the alt-mode, however, meant that he required an updated form. Thus, Transformers: Generation 2 upgraded him into a new body that transformed into a tank. The Marvel Transformers comic books explained this body as being given to him by the ruthless terrorist organization Cobra, enemies of G.I. Joe.

In Beast Wars and Beast Machines, he transformed into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and later, a dragon. In the 2000 series Transformers: Robots in Disguise, the Predacon Megatron transformed from robot, to dragon, bat, giant claw, racecar and jet. The version in Transformers: Armada once again became a tank, while his next two alternate modes in the Unicron Trilogy of anime were a jet and a racecar. The live-action movies portrayed him as a jet, a tank and a semi-truck, with the latter form evoking Optimus Prime. This jet form was emulated in the cartoon Transformers: Prime, while Transformers: Animated made him a VTOL jet. Since then, a tank has remained his most consistent form, even when he's meant to be an upgraded version of Generation 1 Megatron.

Is Megatron Stronger Than Optimus Prime?

As Optimus Prime's rival, it makes sense that Megatron is at least as powerful as him, if not stronger. As a Decepticon, he's more built for warfare, which, when combined with his lack of morality toward his enemies, allows him to cut a sharp presence on the battlefield. In The Transformers, Megatron and the Decepticons could all fly in robot mode, regardless of their alternate modes. This was a power that Prime lacked, giving Megatron a distinct advantage over the Autobot leader. One disadvantage, however, is that his original alt-mode (a gun) was far less than mobile,

In other continuities, the two are many times on equal footing, or Megatron may be shown outright as being more powerful. In the end, however, it's Prime's valiant spark that pushes him to defeat his nemesis time and time again. Likewise, Prime is a leader of integrity, earning him the respect of his troops. On the other hand, Decepticons such as Starscream conspire against Megatron, and this usually causes the Decepticon cause to splinter from the inside.

Megatron's Relationship With Galvatron

In The Transformers: The Movie, a dying Megatron is found by Unicron, the Chas Bringer. Using his arcane power, Unicron recreates Megatron as Galvatron. This was recreated in the continuity of the Marvel comic books, with Galvatron portrayed as a reborn Megatron from the future. Due to these time traveling shenanigans, Megatron actually interacted with Galvatron. The Beast Wars Megatron got several new bodies, but none of these were named Galvatron. The same thing happened in Transformers: Prime, with his Unicron-empowered upgrade being Galvatron in everything but name.

The Unicron Trilogy and the 2000s series Transformers: Robots in Disguise did have Megatron become Galvatron, but there was one major difference. Unlike in G1, where Galvatron was an entirely new form, these versions were merely recolored versions of the same design. The Robots in Disguise version (which was actually called Gigatron in Japan) was something of an exception, as additional parts added to the first toy gave it additional alternate modes. The live-action movies had Megatron's corpse turned into a human-made Transformer named Galvatron, but this robot eventually reverts to his identity as Megatron.

How Does Megatron Die?

As the main villain of the series, it's no surprise that Megatron dies frequently in the Transformers franchise. In G1, he suffered mortal wounds at the hands of Optimus Prime during The Transformers: The Movie, but he was reformed before death as Galvatron. The G1 Transformers anime continuity had Galvatron killed by the Autobot Headmasters, but additional manga saw him come back yet again as Super Megatron. The Beast Era Megatron was finally defeated at the end of Beast Machines, with Optimus Primal (his rival and Optimus Prime's animalistic descendant) merging with him as Cybertron was reformatted.

The Megatron of the Unicron Trilogy died multiple times, though this was always in the form of Galvatron. On the other hand, Movie Megatron only died as Megatron, with his Galvatron identity being abandoned off-screen. His first death was particularly maligned, as he was killed off by the mere human Sam Witwicky. In Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Optimus Prime himself took him down, though this wasn't the end of the Decepticon leader. This sense of longevity proves that in the Transformers franchise, true evil never dies, it merely takes a new form.

Transformers

Transformersis a mediafranchiseproduced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals.

First Film

Transformers

Latest Film

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

First TV Show

The Transformers

Latest TV Show

Transformers: EarthSpark (2022)

Cast

Peter Cullen , Wil Wheaton , Shia LaBeouf , Megan Fox , Luna Lauren Velez , Dominique Fishback